Labirinto (Nazareth)
| Labirinto | |
|---|---|
| Brazilian tango by Ernesto Nazareth | |
| Key | G♭ major |
| Year | 1917 |
| Publisher | Sampaio, Araújo & Cia. |
| Duration | 4 minutes |
| Scoring | Solo piano |
Labirinto (Portuguese: Labyrinth) is a Brazilian tango for solo piano written by Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth.
Background
[edit]Labirinto was composed at a time when Nazareth was a regular performer in different cafés and cinemas in Rio de Janeiro, his hometown. Nazareth chiefly composed music for publication and for his own performance. The tango was published in 1917 by Casa Arthur Napoleão (Sampaio, Araújo & Cia.) and was dedicated to the composer's friend Pedro F. Dantas. It was right around this time when Nazareth met French composer Darius Milhaud,[1] Milhaud, who lived in Brazil between 1917 and 1919 while serving as secretary to Paul Claudel, became fascinated by the urban, syncopated dance style of Rio, so much so that he incorporated Nazareth's motifs from that exact period into his compositions, including L'homme et son désir (1918) and Le bœuf sur le toit (1920).[2][3] Milhaud's relationship with Nazareth helped increase the latter's popularity outside Brazil. Labirinto was part of the composer's concert repertoire, and he performed it in several recitals during his 1926 tour of São Paulo and again in 1932 at the Studio Nicolas.[4]
Structure
[edit]The piece is scored for solo piano and is written in the uncommon key of G♭ major, although the trio section is in C♭ major..[4] It lasts approximately four minutes and comprises 129 bars, including repeats. No tempo indications are given anywhere in the score; however, Nazareth provides expression markings at the beginning of each section. Section A is marked "gracioso" (gracefully), Section B "com ímpeto" (with passionate energy), and Section C "scherzando" (playfully). The piece is in 2
4 time and contains no further time signature changes.
The piece is structured as follows:
| Section | Bars | Key | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | 17 | G♭ major | |
| Section A (Repeat) | 16 | ||
| Section B | 16 | ||
| Section B (Repeat) | 16 | ||
| Section A (Repeat) | 16 | ||
| Trio | Section C | 16 | C♭ major |
| Section C (repeat) | 16 | ||
| Section A (Repeat) | 16 | G♭ major | |
Recordings
[edit]The following is a list of recordings of Labirinto:
| Pianist | Date of recording | Place of recording | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Rifkin | August 1990 | St. George's Church, Bristol, UK | London Records / Decca | [5] |
| Yukio Miyazaki | 1995 | — | Victor Entertainment | [6] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "The Boeuf Chronicles | Milhaud's Silent Partners". daniellathompson.com. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Moreira Lima, Arthur (1975). Liner notes of Discos Marcus Pereira MPA 2009 (Arthur Moreira Lima interpreta Ernesto Nazareth) (in Portuguese). Discos Marcus Pereira.
- ↑ "Ernesto Nazareth: the incarnation of the Brazilian soul". Settling Scores. 2016-08-17. Archived from the original on 2026-04-12. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- 1 2 "Ernesto Nazareth - 150 anos | Obra | Labirinto". ernestonazareth150anos.com.br. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "Rags & Tangos / Rifkin". Decca Classics. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
- ↑ "Ernesto Nazareth - 150 anos | Discografia/Gravações". ernestonazareth150anos.com.br. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
External links
[edit]- Labirinto (Nazareth): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project